From MSNBC:

The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) is proposing a major initiative to expand federal funding for sports rehabilitation programs for veterans with disabilities, and is hoping to add athletes to the U.S. Paralympic team in the process.

But some critics worry that siphoning funds away from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs for sports programming could deplete already scarce resources for core rehabilitation programs needed by veterans.

At heart, this is a turf war, sparked by the USOC’s pursuit of government funding. But it has triggered a broader debate about how to best allocate limited resources to treat and reintegrate returning veterans facing an array of obstacles, ranging from depression to paralysis.

Swimmer and veteran Melissa Stockwell (above), who is competing on the U.S team in three Paralympic events this week, started swimming after losing part of her leg in a roadside bomb blast in Baghdad.

With video. Star Tribune/MSNBC photo.

See also:

Paralympics: Fighting for USA — Again — Minneapolis Star Tribune

This entry was posted on Friday, September 12th, 2008 at 9:30 am and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, Paralympics, exercise/sports, rehabilitation, veterans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post